Neasa Coen

Special Counsel | London

Neasa focuses her practice on the charitable sector and advises grant makers, operating charities, organisations in the public sector, commercial clients and philanthropists on charity law and practice. She has particular experience in advising grant-makers and philanthropists, in the Jewish charitable sector, in social investment, such as retail charity bonds, and in acting for corporates and corporate foundations on charity law and governance, including commercial participation and sponsorship.

Over the years, Chambers & Partners say that she is ‘a thorough and thoughtful lawyer who listens well and is able to deal sensitively with difficult issues’. (Chambers 2018). She is described as ‘highly intelligent, empathetic, and a very good negotiator’ (Chambers 2017) and as ‘taking the time to understand us as clients as well as probing to ensure that she provides advice which is relevant to our situation’ (Chambers 2014). Chambers 2013 says that she has considerable experience in representing clients in dealing with the Charity Commission and that ‘she’s extremely good – just incredibly sensible in her approach and extremely good with clients’.

Focus areas

I have written a number of articles on charity law and practice for Practical Law Company and have also published regular articles in journals and the charity press.

Charity Law Association

Charity Tax Group

Charity Law Association’s tax forum.

I speak regularly at conferences on charity law and practice and have presented at events hosted by Philanthropy Impact, Prism the Gift Fund, Charity Finance Group and Gibraltar Philanthropy Form. Recent topics include governance issues for the Orthodox Jewish sector, cross-border giving, the Common Reporting Standard, political campaigning and the use of donor advised funds.

Me in a minute

I love the charitable sector – the nature of my work is intensely varied.

I moved into Charities many years ago from a corporate law background (at Baker & McKenzie) and have not regretted it for a minute. I love the charitable sector – the nature of my work is intensely varied and I am fortunate to be able to work with people at their best, on benevolent and often ground-breaking projects.

I have worked considerably with the Jewish charitable sector over the years, advising operational charities, grant-makers and religious organisations (including synagogues) on all aspects of charity law. I have particular experience around the Equality Act, particularly in relation to religious charities and school admissions.

I have worked on a number of large charitable projects over the years. I advised a charity which held foreshore in Hastings on substantial governance and structural work, to include the negotiation of a new Charity Commission scheme – by all accounts the first scheme to have a protector. I have advised Nightingale House (a large care home) on its merger with Hammerson House and advised JW3 (the Jewish community centre) on the establishment of a new purpose built community centre on Finchley Road, London, both of which were large projects requiring coordination of a number of divergent issues and the management of a number of regulators.

The combination of ever-increasing public scrutiny and shrinking economic resources have kept the charitable sector on its toes in recent years. I am fascinated by social investment and have been lucky to have been able to work with charities, philanthropists and grant-makers in this area, in particular on retail charity bonds, where I have advised charities and bond issuers.

Some of my work has been in the corporate sphere, where I enjoy working on charity law issues for businesses, to include sponsorship arrangements, Charity of the Year agreements and commercial participation. I have also acted for a number of the larger corporate foundation, advising them on governance and grant-making.